Swampers is the South American Deadly Alliance and the Ancient Deadly Alliance as well the team member of the Temple of the Ancients. The royal swamp clan known as the Sapphirus Clan fights and protect their swamp kingdom from the Brotherhood of Chaos and their ancient enemy, the Branquias.
Origins
The Early Days
Before descending to the throne, Pantano Sapphirus was a prince and the son of the twelfth King of the Swamps. For eleven years, his father's swampland is at peace and resolved any situation with peaceful and alternative resolution to avoid conflict. While during his time, Pantano was in love with the allied king's daughter and married her in a holy ceremony.
Life was peaceful and good after they received their first son and daughter until their ancient enemy, the Branquia, attacked their home but they managed to repel their assault but the cost of their loss: his loved one was assassinated and even worse, his father was poisoned by an arrow and died in a minute.
However, there is hope for his father's swampland as Pantano became their king. But the only problem, he must maintain the balance between the swamp lords.
Feudal Tension
After ten years, King Pantano has maintained the balance but still mourn about his father and his wife. Years sitting on his throne, he still demand an answer to identify the conspirators until they discovered the small piece of truth.
King Pantano's children, Prince Rio and Princess Lace, were at the festival where they enjoyed fun and games with under the protection of El Trio Guarda. After a long festival and won contests, they went back home with prizes as their gifts to their father. But while on the way, however, they were ambushed by highway pirates but they defeated the highway pirates and pushed them out of their way until they unmasked one of the pirates: it was one of their father's allied clansmen and they brought it before to his father and explained what happened.
With his children's explanation and the small truth revealed, he summoned all of his allied clan and demanded the truth about their true intention. Somehow, King Pantano couldn't believe it when three of his father's old allied clan have turned on him and confessed that they've made a pact with the Branquias. King Pantano was offered but he rejected the offer and casted the traitors out from his swamp kingdom for good.
And that was the feudal tension.
Helping new allies against the Branquias
Bared by terrible truth, King Pantano is now looking for his new allies before the war on the Branquias begins. He sent his two trusted allies, Cascador the commander and General Marejado, to find two new allies while King Pantano and his adviser, Sage Vivero are going to find a new ally.
Cascador and his men went to the deep swampland where they found a small battle has happened. One lone Swamptoid-like frog named Grigor fighting a small unit from rival tribe and Cascador intervene to help him but Grigor doesn't need help as he killed the last of them. Then Grigor was about to attack him but it was intervened by Verruga, a hulking Swamptoid from a friendly tribe, and knocked him to restrain him. Cascador and his allies were brought to Grigor's tribe where he offered his tribe for joining forces with King Pantano. And just before they made a pact, the rival tribe invaded the tribe's land but Cascador and his men repelled and destroyed the invaders when Verruga's tribesmen have arrived to reinforce them. After the battle is over and the rival tribe is "annihilated", Verruga and Grigor joined King Pantano's side along with their tribe with one condition: Grigor doesn't want to be treated like "pet" but they've treated him well with respect his condition.
On the west, General Marejado and his brave men went to look for new and open allied clan until they found a small caravan on the other side which it's turned out to be as slave and prisoners' caravan, carried by the Branquias. General Marejado command his volunteers to free the slaves and prisoners from the dirty clutches of the Branquias. As all the Branquia warriors are dead, they've freed the slaves and prisoners but it turns out that they were ancient ally of King Pantano's father, the Zalmerians, and General Marejado helped them out and bringing them to their home and coastal capital of Zalmeria. With Zalmerian's help, they've joined King Pantano's campaign to defeat the Branquias.
And finally, King Pantano and Sage Vivero travelled to the north to find his new ally if they have the chance before the war can be started. Then suddenly, they've found a dead battlefield, filled with corpses of the Branquias and the unknown mermen army. And just before they were about to leave, the last survivor from the unknown mermen army that it's now known as the Aquarus, the ancient opposition force of the Branquias and they were told that they were at war against their common enemy. They carried the bodies of dead brave Aquarus warriors and dumped the dead Branquia warriors into a pyramid pile of corspes and decapitated the Branquian commander's head then went to the Aquarus' refugee camp with a guide of a last Aquarus warrior. As they've arrived at the refugee camp, King Pantano showed the head of a dead Branquia commander to the Aquarus warrior for proof and brought the bodies and the survivor to the people so he and his adviser can speak with the Aquarusian king. He spoke to the king as the wise diplomate as he offered the aid to the Aquarusian refugees and military support to its army to free their kingdom.
As they received the message from two commanders after the Aquarusian accepted the offer, they returned to their kingdom as they're preparing for war.
Swamp Wars
King Pantano and his old and new allies are gathered in his royal fort to make plans to defeat the Branquias. They first started to defeat his former allies now new enemy clans by cutting off their supplies and resources, liberate villages, and capture rouge leaders, dead or alive.
After weeks of defeating rouge swamp clans, they've received a "false" message from the Branquias that Prince Rio and Princess Laca were captured during their visit to Zalmeria; but in reality, Prince Rio and Princess Laca tricked the Branquian King to capture and kill his offsprings while the real ones are safely back to their kingdom.
For two months, they've defended their allies' cities and land, crushed the Branquian Army, and captured their so-called territorial claim of the so-called Branquian Swamplands. King Pantano's fame makes him a legend, his name was spread like a gigantic tsunami all over the kingdom, moralized by his positive influence, and feared his foes that those who hear his royal clan's name of the Sapphirus clan.
The King of the Swamps
As they've reached the Branquian capital, Branquiapolis, they camped outside far away from the city wall for a rest and the preparation for the final battle as they're making plan for invasion after they've learned that the walls are heavily defended so they'll have to do is to breach under the wall by using the tunnel used by Aquarusian saboteurs. Their plan was indeed a masterpiece but with risk of compromises.
At night, Cascador, Prince Rio, and a faithful company of allied swamp clans used the tunnel and entered the city through the well as they spread out and eliminate the city guards and dismantled the defenses and towers then opened the city gate so King Pantano and his army can enter the city and attack the Branquian Army in their last stand without warning. They've battled throughout the city, from the market courts to the city square and rallied the resistance to the Branquian King's palace. They've marched on the narrow street, breaching through the palace defenses and crushed the Branquian Royal Guards in their path of glory.
King Pantano and his faithful men and volunteers from the Aquarus fought their way throughout the palace to find and fight the Branquian King but he must surpass his general first which King Pantano defeated him easily then entered the worship room thought to be their king was inside instead they've destroyed the Chaos Gods' statue due their law from the Order Gods. After that, King Pantano and his men have reached the doorway to the throne room and entered the room alone; only the king may enter. As he entered, he found the Branquian King himself, alone without his guards, and fought to the death. But before King Pantano finally defeated the Branquian King, he fell and knocked down to the floor and then impaled his enemy king through his chest and pushed him out to the balcony, meaning the Branquias are defeated and they've captured the main and the last castle. The war is effectively over, permanently.
As they banished the Branquias to the Unknown Seas, King Pantano has become the King of the Swamps which he has the right to rule his kingdom whatever he wants and he made a wise decision: he allowed to rule their own kingdom with their rights and a peaceful political resolution and the treaty for welfare.
5 years of restoring peace, the Sapphirus Clan has become the rightful and recognized ruler of the swamp kingdom.
Aftermath
In the 21st century, King Pantano and his royal allies were sighted on Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, then later resided at the southern region of the Venezuelan jungles and then they were found and recruited by the UN-GDI to be part of the Deadly Alliance.
Team Members
King Pantano Sapphirus
The King of the Swamps. He is a wise, hot-tempered, stern, patient, and powerful supreme leader who ruled over his own swamps with his family against his rival swamp lords and monsters as well his ancient enemy, the Branquias from the Unknown Sea.
Prince Rio Sapphirus
The Prince of the Swamps, Rio is the son of the King of Swamps who is the heir to his father's throne. He's a strong, young, and cunning fighter like his father.
Princess Laca Sapphirus
The Princess of the Swamps, Laca is the daughter of King Pantano and you can't mess with her; beware of her beauty. She's like her brother but she's smart and intelligent. She also wields her crossbow for combat.
Kricker
One of the member of El Trio Guarda and the leader of King Pantano's unit. He's a serious but cool leader, listening to heeding advice from Kricky and help Kricko like brothers.
Kricko
One of the member of El Trio Guarda and the brawn of the team. He's a good fighter who takes no shit from anybody and can take on many enemies he fights but he got a little backup from his brothers.
Kricky
One of the member of El Trio Guarda and the brain of the team. He's a quite good strategist and thinker, giving good suggestions to his brothers. During combat, he wields his light crossbow.
Cascador
King Pantano's military commander and the strongest warrior of the clan. Popular and charismatic with golden heart, he led and rallied his brave warriors into battle, helping fallen comrades out of the battlefield.
General Marejado
King Pantano's royal general and the Battle Sage for the royal army. He was a brave soldier on the battlefield now the wise and greatest intelligent strategist. In combat, he wields his old mace and as the Battle Sage, he casts the spell of victory banners, allowing his allies to increase their strength, defense, accuracy, speed, and morality.
Grigor
From outcasted native warrior from the now-destroyed tribal clan now a loyal warrior to King Pantano and his allies. He doesn't like be treated as a pet but he was treated well as they cared about his worrying ambitions and impatient.
Verruga
A hulking Swamptoid warrior who got the big muscle, taking out his foes in his way. A strong warrior with few words to speak, Verruga is also a retainer to Grigor.
Sage Vivero
A wise Swamptoid mage who is the adviser to King Pantano and the wizard of the clan. He can cast only with the element of water and heals his fellow comrades.
Inspirations
- Six of ten characters have their Spanish name with meaning. Pantano means Swamp; Rio means River; Laca is the variation meaning word of Lake; Cascador is Cascada and it means Waterfall; Marejado is Marejada and it means Tidal Wave; Verruga means Wart; and Vivero means Fish-Pond.
- King Pantano, Prince Rio, Princess Laca, Cascador, and General Marejado are very resemblance to the enemy called "Stalkers" from Hexen: Beyond the Heretic.
- Grigor and Verruga are very resemblance to the Burun from MMORPG PC game, Asheron's Call 2.
